


How to try when the world is ending

by imnotaleo



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Diego and Luther doesn't trust reader, Diego is a little shit, Diego is angry, Escapism, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, Gender Identity, Good Sibling Vanya Hargreeves, I dont want to hurt you by accident!, I really like hugs, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Gets A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, Luther Hargreeves Being an Asshole, Luther Hargreeves is angry, Multi, No use of y/n, Other, Pan Klaus, Pansexual Klaus Hargreeves, Pre-Canon, Reader Needs a Hug, Reader is Nonbinary, Reader-Insert, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, author needs a hug, but like, can you blame them, dont read if you have triggers, idk - Freeform, its not specific - Freeform, just slightly implied!, reader and Klaus get hugs, should i continue, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe, vanya is actually amazing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27851762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imnotaleo/pseuds/imnotaleo
Summary: When you survive a car accident, you find yourself in front of two familiar faces that you never thought you'd see in person. What's crazy is that they are definitely not cosplayers...This work is very much inspired and very much self indulgent! The reader is non binary (afab) and there is no use of (y/n)
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Allison Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Allison Hargreeves & Reader, Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Reader, Klaus Hargreeves & Reader, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves & death, Vanya Hargreeves & Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 32





	1. You'd come over. Right?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Are you sure I’m not high?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26513275) by [bow_ties_R_cool](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bow_ties_R_cool/pseuds/bow_ties_R_cool). 



> PLEASE DEAR GOD GO READ THE "LOVE ACROSS TIMELINES" FICS!!! This is very much inspired by their lovely fic, I just wanted to create a self insert lol
> 
> Other than that, I'm just trying to build up my motivation to write and work! Please let me know if you like it, love it or hate it :)
> 
> Stay zesty readers <3

Wake up early, eat something, go to work, sit alone and ignore everyone, contemplate existence, head home, eat something, watch either a movie or tv show and go to sleep. Everything blurred together after a while. The endless repetitive cycle that was your life got quite tiring after a while. You had always hoped that there was something unique about you. But here you are, a 29 year old college drop-out, no long-term goals or family to speak of. 

Your parents, although never explicitly telling you, had adopted you as a kid. Your appearance compared to theirs was completely different. It was for the best though. Judging how they dropped almost all communication with you after you dropped out of college. Your older brother Sam had always been the favourite child anyways. He was a smart, outgoing and confident kid growing up. It also probably helped that he was not adopted. He was everything your parents wanted and you were not. You were the complete opposite of Sam actually. 

Alarm going off at eight, you groaned and slapped your alarm clock. Work started in an hour and so did your daily routine. Being so early in the year, the weather was awful, even for seattle standards. It had been raining all night and still hadn’t let up. After working at the same theatre for so long, you gave no fucks about the dress code and pulled your favourite hoodie over your head followed shortly by an oversized plaid shirt. Kicking a few loose items of closing towards your overflowing laundry hamper, you spotted a clean looking pair of jeans. Now that just left you to take your meds, grab your ipod and go.

The street outside of your apartment was much colder than it looked. You ended up pulling the hood over your head and turned up your music. Your commute was now muscle memory so you passed the time by humming along to your music. 

On the corner of a street, you were waiting for the crosslight to change so that you could cross. Letting your eyes drift shut, you rested your back against a lightpost. A sudden scream immediately pulled your attention to a man crossing the road in front of you. He held a small purse and was crossing through the traffic. Despite your brain telling you to just let him go, you took a step forward. 

What are you doing?

Your body moved before you could stop yourself. Short break of traffic gave you an opening to run towards the man. Time seemed to slow as you caught the strap of the light blue purse. You gave a sharp tug and ripped the purse from the thieves grasp. Unfortunately you lost your grip as well and the light bag flew towards the side of the road where you were standing only a moment ago. Cars honked their horns as the man shot off, leaving you left in the middle of the street. You couldn’t decide which way to go. Forward or back?

You froze.

One car sped a little too close to your back for comfort and it sent you falling forward from fear. 

The cement approached in slow motion. You pulled your arms to your face hoping it may do something. Deep down, you knew it would be futile as a car quickly approached your right side. The headlights and horns around you numbed all of your senses.

And then you hit it.

A sharp slap to the face woke you up. Stars filled your vision like the milky way and your ears were still ringing. While slowly regaining your senses, you could hear the concerned voices of two men above you. Although, very muffled.

“Klaus I don’t think that slapping her is going to help,” one voice stated, it was deeper and hoarse, as if it was not often used, “you’re going to give her more brain damage than that fall did.” Despite the spinning in your mind, you let out a hearty chuckle.

“It's actually ‘they’.” You corrected as you attempted to sit up. All attempts end in vain as your hands flail in front of you. Thankfully, one of the concerned voices allowed you to grab their hand. 

“Woah careful there!” A slightly lighter voice ~~Klaus?~~ , shifted closer to you to help you up, offering their other hand. “You hit the ground pretty hard there.” Klaus then wrapped an arm around your back for support as you stood up. You were more than thankful to have Klaus’ support as your heavy head rolled backwards. Out of the corner of your eyes, you can see the presumed owner of the first voice reach out but hesitate and pull back. Klaus gently sat you against a wall. Which was much more comfortable than the damp floor. You pulled your tingly hands up to your head and squeezed your eyes shut for a moment. 

The blur that had been clouding your eyes finally faded and allowed you to observe your surroundings. First there was the street that you did not recognize from your commute. It was dark out, you and the two others were illuminated by a single streetlight. Shit, how long were you out for? Rubbing a palm to your eyes, you took a good look at the others. 

They were familiar… Way too familiar… 

Despite feeling your heart drop to your stomach, you choke out two words.

“Ben?” The words are asked very hesitantly, you can barely look into his eyes. This can’t be real. “Klaus?” Despite how your breath hitched with anxiety, you made eye contact with Klaus. The confused, then shocked expressions only confirm your anxieties.

“You can see him?” Klaus exclaims, his head comically switching between you and his brother. Ben, on the other hand, has nothing to say. He just gapes at you with his jaw practically on the floor.

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” You joke at the men, although it was more like a painful attempt to calm your heaving chest. 

Having nowhere to hide from this situation, you wrap your arms around yourself and try to take deep, calming breaths. You can’t freak out right now… There's no way this is happening. T.v. shows aren't real, this is just some weird dream. Maybe you took a few too many of your pills and this is just some weird trip? Would it be weird of you to ask Klaus to slap you again? You can’t help but wonder where in the show you even are. It has to be sometime before the first season… Ben is still here and Klaus doesn’t look fresh out of rehab.

“Hey, hey it’s gonna be okay.” Klaus comforted you as you rambled your thoughts out loud. He reaches out a hand but freezes when you flinch. “Is it okay if I touch you?” He tentatively asks, you nod in between hiccuped breaths. Klaus wastes no time pulling you into a hug. Despite tensing at first, you clutch Klaus’ leather jacket like it’s a lifeline while you let out quiet sobs. After a few minutes, he led you through your five senses while you calmed down. Asking you to name things in each category to ground you. How did this guy get so good at this? Well, he did grow up with Reginald and with seven super powered siblings… Eventually, once your breathing returned to normal, Klaus let you go. You felt your face flush in embarrassment as you fiddled with the ends of your sleeves.

“So,” Klaus cleared his throat, “do you want to explain how you can see my dead brother? And what were you saying about a T.v. show?”

This was going to be fun to explain…

  
-  
  


After giving a simple explanation of your life ~~Universe? Timeline?~~ and… death? Klaus and Ben lead you back to the negative star motel they were staying in. You gave a brief run down of the t.v. show, deciding to skip over the whole “end of the world” thing for now. The two brothers seemed to nod as you rambled.

“How are you guys taking this so well?” You wonder out loud.

“Well, we and all of our siblings were born on the same day, were adopted by an old rich dick and all have superpowers.” Ben states with a deadpan look directed at you. Klaus only attempts, and fails, to send a shove to his ghost pal. 

“Fair enough.” You reply curtly before falling into your own thoughts. With what Klaus has been telling you and your knowledge from the show, you think there’s around four months before Reginald drops dead and kicks off the events from the show. That left you with three options…

  1. Try to change the events of the show. Which could very well backfire on you or make the events of the show worse.
  2. Help out where you can. But, you don't have any powers, you will just be a casualty and pain in the ass.
  3. Go off and enjoy these last four months of your life. But the guilt… Knowing you could have done something to help and chose not too? That goes against everything you believe in.



You shook your head to clear your mind. You have four months. You don't need to make a decision right away. 

  
-  
  


The first few weeks after falling into the show were weird. You had been so used to your routine that waking up on a shitty motel bed, with a hungover Klaus and cranky Ben was awkward. By some miracle, Klaus and Ben let you stick with them. To be fair, Ben was more than happy to have someone new and alive to talk too. Klaus seemed to have no strong opinions about your presence. He mostly wanted to ask you questions about your universe and the show. The first evening, you shut yourself into the bathroom. You ended up passing out while typing all of your ideas for when Reggie drops dead. The second and third days ended the same. However, Klaus had dragged you out to eat and meet his dealers. The fourth day, Klaus ended up shifting his questions towards you.

“What’s your family like?” Klaus asked you one afternoon. The three of you were sitting outside of the motel on a bench. Klaus had been nursing a bottle of vodka while Ben and you were fiddling with your phone. 

“Don't have one.” You barely registered the question and answered absentmindedly. Although, you paused when you realized that wasn’t exactly true, letting out a sigh while you let your eyes close. “Well, I do… But, they don’t care about me. Probably won't notice that I’ve disappeared for a few months. Even then, they won’t care.” Klaus hummed in understanding, he set his hand on your bouncing knee to convey his support. You knew that he wouldn’t push you to explain more but you kept going. 

You even showed them the few photos you had saved on your phone, pointing out your mom, dad and Sam respectively. The three of you ended up spending a few hours sharing stories from your childhoods. You shared your attempts at coming out as nonbinary and how they treated you as their “token little girl” no matter how much you complained. Your few friends at school had accepted you, however many of them unfriended you for it. Resulting in years of bullying and being called “it”. Klaus shared his own struggles with coming out as pan… At least, with his father, mother and pogo. His siblings didn’t mind, however they never backed him up. Although Ben couldn’t relate with coming out, he did share how his power and training with Reginald had scarred him. 

These conversations of your childhood trauma’s continued throughout the week. You even managed to open up about your options once the show’s events start. Klaus and Ben both seemed to enjoy your company. You couldn’t even lie at the fact that it was amazing to be rid of your student debt and mundane life. 

Around a week into this adventure, you caved into becoming drinking buddies with Klaus. You were never a huge drinker before… It had probably been a few years since you had last touched alcohol. But damn did it feel great to relax. Despite the killer headache you got the next day.

Having no ID or proof of existence in this world proved to be a pain in the ass. Especially after Klaus got a little bit too high. You had no job, money or any idea how to get food. Ben was able to help you take care of his brother, especially when Klaus was experiencing withdrawals from some of the harder drugs. Ben, not having the need to sleep, disappeared every so often during the evenings. Leaving you and Klaus to lie in the shitty motel beds. Most of those nights, the two of you spent hours talking before passing out. Unfortunately, those nights also plagued you with nightmares. 

Somehow, your brain had blocked out the moments after falling towards the ice-covered street. Your head must have done one shitty job though. Almost every night, you were reliving those moments. Sometimes it would also be the moments following your black out. You would see the black tires looming closer, feel the thumping of your heart and even hear the roar of the engine. It didn’t take long for Klaus to realize that you were waking up from fear. It took one day, to be honest. You woke up screaming, crying and attempting to protect your body from an invisible foe. 

It became a routine for the two of you. Either you or Klaus would wake up screaming bloody murder, the one present in the moment would calm the other down and then a silent agreement was made that they would stay together until falling back asleep. You had both put up the option to talk about the dreams. However, it would take a few months for the both of you to open up about it. W ~~ell, you mostly. Klaus had explained the cemetery and ghosts to you almost immediately after you had woken up to his nightmare~~ The night you told him, the dream was much worse than usual... 

You were standing on the corner of the street. Everything was normal, aside from the road. No cars sped past you and the smell of hot asphalt was burning your nose. You tried to pull your hands over your nose to mask the strength of the smell, however your arms did not respond. After a failed attempt to back up, you came to the realization that your legs would not respond either. That’s when you started ~~walking~~ moving forward. You were being pushed forward by someone's hands. Despite the panic rising in your chest, you managed to catch a glimpse of your assailants. Unfortunately, you could recognize the three figures behind you. The tall, lanky figure of Sam forced you forward. Beside his mess of ginger hair, was his father. Although much thicker, he had short grey hair that matched the texture of his son. Then the familiar long black hair of Sam’s mother came into view. In your opinion, the mother and son were the most similar. Both skinny, had sharp features and were very beautiful when compared to most. 

The familiar feeling of their hands on your skin caused a scream to bubble up into your throat. Sam’s large, clammy hand covered your mouth before any sound would make its way out. The sensation caused you to freeze and stop any attempts to push him back. After all, It only ever encouraged him… Blinking away some tears, you realized that Sam was now on top of you, holding you down on the humid asphalt. You were never able to fight him back once he had you pinned. Years on the football team in high school had made him significantly stronger than you. That's when you shut your eyes tight. Roaring filled your ears as a car approached, the sound wasn’t enough to drown out your brother however as his sickeningly familiar voice whispered your name into your ear. 

“(Name).” He spoke, everything seeming louder, brighter, faster and it all hurt.

“(Name)!” He was yelling now.

“(Name), wake up!” Sam called for you. However, that wasn’t Sam’s voice. You choked back tears as you attempted to call out for the voice.

“Klaus!” You sat up suddenly. Forehead connecting with Klaus’. You fell backwards and pulled your hands to your head. Hearing him groan in pain brought your attention to the shirtless figure in front of you. Klaus was holding his head and apologizing. You quickly pulled Klaus into a hug. After a few seconds of holding his head, he let his hands fall onto your back. Despite the flinch you failed to hold back, you nodded as a sign that he was okay and that touch was okay. The two of you sat like that for a while, you sobbing and him rubbing circles into your back. Eventually, you could breathe normally again and Klaus shifted, about to give you the space that you normally asked for. However, this time, you caught his wrist. You glanced into his eyes, they were breathtaking in the dim moonlight, and gave him a look that said “I’m ready”.

The two of you sat beside each other on your bed with backs against the wall. A tense silence held in the air as you slipped your legs under the covers. You didn't even know where to start… 

“The day I showed up here,” You gripped your blanket to steady your shaky hands, “what did you and Ben see?”

“There was a flash of light,” Klaus answered in a whisper before placing a finger to his chin, seemingly in an attempt to think back a few months, “It was bright, I even dropped my joint! I bent down to grab it. Before you judge, the five second rule applies to joints. I heard a scream and then you hit the ground. I’m not sure how far you fell but you were out for a few good minutes there. I thought you were dead and was gonna look for your wallet but Ben stopped me. I swear I could hear honking but, it was for a split second.” Klaus placed a hand on top of one of yours, for reassurance. You took a moment to collect your thoughts before explaining the moments before waking up to the Hargreeves brothers. During your explanation, Klaus nodded along.

“There’s more to this nightmare though,” Klaus thought out loud, “you were crying out for something to stop.”

“Sam and my - no - his parents were awful to me.” You stated, Klaus nodded along, you had already told him that. “Sam specifically always tried to push any boundaries I tried to put up. It got to the point where he would do anything he wanted despite my protests. Eventually, I stopped fighting him. Between what his parents would say to me and his constant abuse, I barely made it out of there.” Klaus’ hand tightened over your own as you continued. “In this specific dream, they pushed me into the road and Sam held me down. He sent me back to when I was a scared little kid.”

“(Name) thats…”

“I know,” You cut him off, “I’ve heard it all: Pity, disbelief, anger and disgust. I stopped telling people after a while. He drilled into me that no one would believe me and that even if they did, they would look at me differently.”

“Hey,” Klaus pulled your attention with a soft and reassuring smile, “he isn’t here. None of them are. You’re safe with me and Ben. Trust me when I say, we won't let anything like that happen to you again.”

After his words, you couldn’t help but tear up. You then, held him in a tight bearhug until you fell asleep again. That moment is what convinced you. You made a decision; you were going to stop the apocalypse.

  
  



	2. Meeting the Bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think,,, Ima continue this...
> 
> Fake dating au's are amazing and reader gets to meet Vanya!

Two weeks. You have two weeks until Reginald drops dead. Much to Klaus’ dismay, you had to stop your drinking to keep a clear head. After your decision to stop the apocalypse was made, you were determined to come up with something that would get them to listen to you. No one in the Hargreeves family, aside from Ben and Klaus, trusted you. This did you no favours though. One was a ghost and the other wasn’t taken very seriously by his family. You were certain, however, that you would at least be able to convince Five to let you help. On the other hand, Luther was your biggest obstacle. No pun intended. With how he acted in the show, there was no way he’d listen to you. 

After a few too many late nights full of Klaus and Ben poking and prodding into your tornado of notes, you finally caved and let them help. Although, it mostly ended up with Klaus allowing you to throw ideas to him for an hour before sleeping away a hangover. You weren’t opposed to letting him sleep. You were a college student once and have pulled a few to many days without sleep to finish a final or an essay. Ben also stuck around to help you, not having to sleep and knowing his family allowed for the two of you to spend hours bouncing ideas and planning. 

There were quite a few things that you didn’t want to tell the two of them quite yet… Season two was one of those things. Hopefully, you would be able to stop that season from even happening anyway. Then there was Vietnam and Dave. Despite your overwhelming fear of seeing Klaus so distraught… Your fear of the unknown, of things not sticking to the plot of the show, took over. Plus, Klaus needed to meet Dave. 

In the end, you decided that Vanya, Five and Diego needed to be your focus first. Getting them on your side would definitely help you. 

With two weeks to go, you had decided on meeting Vanya first. The current issue on the table for the evening was: how? The only idea you had was to pull a page from Leonards? Harolds? Book. You could get a violin lesson with her. But, you really didn’t want to manipulate her like he had. You know damn well how she felt when she found out in the show. Ben had suggested that you go attend one of her rehearsals and find her afterwards. Klaus suggested that he just be straight with her and that he could introduce you. In the end, both Ben and Klaus had better ideas than you, so you merged the two. 

So there you were, bright and early, outside of the rehearsal hall from the show. Klaus had decided to wear the same clothes that he had passed out in the night before. Although, he now sported a pair of shades. Most likely to help his hangover… Either way, he was constantly walking with a pep in his step and bringing a smile to your nervous face. Ben tailed the two of you. His constant slouching and teasing of his brother made him seem slightly grumpy at having to follow the two of you. However, the excited grin that he was trying to hide told you otherwise, he was definitely excited to see Vanya play again. Now that you thought about it… Were Vanya and Ben close? The second season had made you think they definitely had a bond. The thought of  _ that _ scene caused your heart to stop for a moment. 

  
Ben… Would you even be able to save him? He was already dead anyways but… You couldn’t let his siblings lose him like that again.

“(Name)?” Ben broke you out of your thoughts. You looked up and forced yourself to swallow the knot that had formed in your throat.

“I’m good.” You answered the unspoken question with a nod. 

Klaus held the door open for you and he let the door close onto Ben. An unamused glare from Ben and Klaus’ snickers definitely helped calm your nerves. 

  
“Klaus you can’t just slam a door onto your brother.” You said with a smile. Ben gave Klaus a ‘take that’ look and Klaus just pouted at you. You responded by giving him a light flick on the forehead, followed by a: “Come on, we’re late.”

Doing your best to enter the audience quietly was hard with Klaus. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but man, could he make an entrance. An embarrassed flush grew on your face as you felt the eyes of audience members and musicians alike on the two of you. The woman on the violin first chair in particular had sent you and Klaus a pretty nasty glare. Although you wondered how she got first chair with her attitude, it soon made sense when she started to play. Of course, she was an amazing violinist. However, her attitude made you tense. She was way too similar to the girls in high school. That didn’t make her death in the show any better. She definitely did not deserve to have her life cut short like in the show.

Klaus seemed to notice your discomfort as he pulled you down into a nearby seat. After a few more moments of being glared at, attention slowly shifted away from Klaus and yourself. A few moments to relax, unfortunately didn’t allow for your nerves to settle before the door behind you was slammed open. 

“Shit.” You could hear Vanya cursing under her breath. Just like the first episode, she was late to rehearsal. While you were slightly starstruck, Vanya had made her way onto the stage. Klaus noticed your expression and, of course, started to snicker from beside you. Onstage, Vanya was given a warning by the director. His harsh tone and Vanya’s quiet apologies made you frown. In the end, he ended up brushing her off, like in the show but much less fed up. As Vanya finished setting up, the orchestra started. Focusing all of your energy into listening to Vanya was difficult. However, you were able to pick up her sound. 

Of course your crappy hand-me-down computer had awful sound quality. Hearing it for yourself was truly amazing. You never went to any live concerts and god had you missed out. And Vanya? Vanya’s sound was breathtaking. You had honestly forgotten that, in the show, Vanya had been playing for years. Her sound was incredible. Hearing the slight imperfections that came along with a live performance was even better. You were able to pick out the sounds of fingers sliding down the strings and the lifting of the bows from the violins. 

After an hour of practice, the orchestra was done. Klaus immediately leapt from his seat to make his way towards Vanya. Awkwardly linking your hands together, you followed him down the aisle. Vanya, who was now in the first row of seats putting away her violin, smiled when she caught sight of her brother. The two shared a hug.

“Vans, your playing is as amazing as ever.” He complimented. You smiled at the nickname Klaus used. It was new, you had not heard it in the show. You couldn’t help but wonder if Klaus had nicknames for all of his siblings? You had to wait on an answer to that as Klaus threw an arm over your shoulder. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a sly smile on his face. That definitely meant that he was planning something. “This is (Name).” His smile grew, he was definitely planning something. “They’re my partner. Basically came  _ falling _ into my life a few months back. Been together ever since.”

“Nice to meet you (Name).” Vanya smiled politely. Although he was a complete ass about it, you needed a cover story for being around the Hargreeves. Dating Klaus was a perfect story. You were definitely going to flick him afterwards for springing this on you. Correction, you were going to flick him twice because of the pun he added in there with a cheeky smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well Vanya.” You replied, forcing yourself to smile genuinely and relax. “Klaus told me a lot about you and your siblings. I never have had the chance to hear live music before. I kind of jumped at the chance to hear your practice.” Deciding it was best to be as honest as possible, you decided to gush about her playing. “You were amazing by the way!” You added in at the end, embarrassed at forgetting to actually compliment her playing.

Vanya just laughed it off as she pulled the violin case over her back. The three of you spent a little while talking in the theatre before eventually getting kicked out by the staff. Vanya, happy to spend more time with Klaus, invited the both of you to her apartment for lunch.

“I would never decline free food, Vans. You should know me better by now.” Klaus said with a smile as he pushed the doors from the theatre open. As Vanya and Klaus made their way outside, you fell behind with Ben. Of course, Vanya couldn't see Ben, so you probably seemed rude or weird. But you took the time to think. The subject of the moment, was Vanya… In your universe, the actor came out as trans. You couldn’t help but question if that means the character is as well? It seemed stupid as you thought about it. Why couldn’t you just ask Vanya? It was probably because you practically idolized the actor, Elliot Page… Why were you so nervous all of the sudden?

Klaus, noticing your nervous scratching at your hands, elected to keep up the ‘dating’ thing by taking one of your hands in his. Ben made a faux puking noise as he followed and you let a tight smile fall over your lips. Of course, your mind was still moving like a runaway train. At least now you had something to ground you. Eventually, the conversation between the siblings came to an end.

  
“We’ll be right up.” Klaus spoke to his sister. Vanya gave a light nod in reply as she disappeared inside. He then attempted to ‘shoo’ Ben away, who just raised an eyebrow and mouthed ‘seriously dude?’ in response. “What’s up?” Klaus asked you as he placed his hands on your shoulders. 

“Nothing,” You replied unconvincingly, “lets just head inside.”

“Come on (Name),” He sighed obviously not believing you. Klaus then, in an attempt to get you to open up, continued on with the cover-story charade, “we’ve been dating for Months! I thought we were past this Schatz.”

“Schatz?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Don't worry ‘bout it.”

“I should’ve followed Vanya when I had the chance.” Ben pouted from the doorway to your right.

“Fine.” Laughing Ben and the new nickname off, you conceded. Either way, Klaus was probably your best bet for advice in this situation anyways. “It's about Vanya.”

“Ooh!” Klaus clapped excitedly. “Do tell.”

“The actor who plays Vanya recently came out in my universe.” You explained with an awkward scratch of your neck. “I completely idolize them for their success and bravery. Now it's just weird because I’m not sure what Vanya wants.” Klaus nodded at your conundrum. Shit, maybe asking him wasn’t the best idea. In the show, everyone had an issue with Vanya for the book. Maybe Klaus didn’t even know her well enough?

“Don’t sweat it Schatz.” Klaus finally spoke. It took you a moment to realize you had zoned out for a moment. “I’ll ask her for you.” He then shot you a light smile as he pulled you inside. It was strange that someone portrayed as so carefree in a show, could be so kind and considerate when need be. 

Once inside, the three of you (four including Ben who sat beside the window) sat in the main room. You had recognized it from the show. Dust and sheet music littered about. The chair that Five had spatial jumped into was home to a few books. It gave off such a homey vibe. Especially when you mentally compared it to your apartment or the shitty motels you had been staying in. 

“Sorry it's so messy,” Vanya sighed as she set her violin in the corner, “I wasn’t expecting company.”

“Honestly, dont worry about it.” You spoke with an awkward chuckle. “Nothing can top my old place.”

“Coffee?” She then asked with a smile.

“Tea, if you have any.”

“Vodka.”

“Really Klaus?” Ben  _ dead _ panned. “It’s barely past noon.”

Getting to know Vanya was so cool yet weird at the same time. You basically knew everything that was going to happen to her. In the end, you both settled on gushing about music. You mentioned your love for music and lack of access to it as a kid. Vanya then offered to teach you the basics of music theory and violin on her off time. More than happy to learn about music, and spend time with her, you set up a schedule on the weekends for both you and Klaus to meet at Vanya’s rehearsal and then join her for lunch in the apartment. Despite your embarrassment, Klaus had asked his sister for her pronouns. Vanya, unlike her actor, was totally fine with  _ she _ and  _ her _ . Like her actor, she was not opposed to  _ they _ and  _ them  _ either. You knew that, despite how intriguing the situation was, you couldn’t ask much further without exposing where you dropped in from. 

-

And so, the week passed quickly. You ended up spending much more time with Vanya than you had originally thought. The two of you actually becoming fast friends. The rest of your time was spent either enjoying Klaus’ company in the late afternoons and Ben’s in the evenings. Before you knew it, it was only a week before Reginald’s death. You spent that day with a bad feeling in your chest. You were missing something. Although you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. You could only hope that your pacing around the motel room wouldn’t worry Klaus and Ben when they returned. 

Of course, the moment the two of them stepped through the door, a few grocery bags full of what appeared to be chips and booze in hand, did it hit you.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit.” You mumbled to yourself as you began frantically searching through your papers on the bedside.

“Schatz?” Klaus’ intrigued voice asked from behind you.

“Found it!” You exclaimed victoriously, swinging around to meet your roommates curious and worried faces, paper in hand. 

“What happened?” Ben eyed the paper with worry.

“The first episode. Everyone is somewhere when they get the news. Luther is on the news, Diego is saving a family, Allison is on the red carpet, Vanya is on her way home from rehearsal and you…” You push a finger into Klaus’ chest for emphasis. “You’re fresh out of rehab, ODing in an ambulance.”

“Classic.” Ben rolls his eyes sarcastically. Klaus, wide eyed, looks down at your hand and then back at you. He goes to say something but you cut him off to continue.

“Don't get me wrong, if you’re sobering up even a little bit, that’s amazing.” Pulling your finger away, you give Klaus a smile. That smile doesn’t last long as you drift back to the problem at hand. “I’m just worried about the timeline. Like, the butterfly effect?”

“So I miss one ambulance ride. No biggie?” Klaus shrugs sheepishly.

“They’ve got a point Klaus.” Ben says as he rubs his forehead in thought. “That specific ambulance needs to be taking you to the hospital right when you hear the news. If it’s anywhere else, it could do something to bring the end of the world further away or closer. It would make everything that they've worked on useless.”

“Maybe there's a way around it?” You suggest, to which Ben hums. “If Klaus is getting even the slightest bit sober, I don't want to force a relapse.”

“What did I take?” Klaus asks the question with a sincerity that you did not expect.

“Klaus.” Ben hisses out his brother's name as a warning.

“Maybe, if I know what I am supposed to take, I can think like ‘high me’ and  _ pre _ trace my steps.” Klaus suggests with a shrug. “I might even be able to guess how long it took me to overdose.”

“Klaus, that's actually genius!” You exclaim with a (now genuine) relaxed grin. “I basically forgot that you probably all got a top notch education.”

“It definitely helps that I grew up with a few guys who thought that their IQ was bigger than their…” Klaus points over his shoulder at his brother. 

“Klaus!” If Ben was alive, you definitely would have been able to spot a flustered blush growing on his cheeks. 

-

So, that was how you ended up crashing on Vanya’s couch while Klaus and Ben checked into rehab. You loved having the sober, and alive, company. Although your nervous brain was off the charts with anxiety while worrying about Klaus, Ben and the end of the world. You honestly missed having someone who understood. Vanya ended up distracting you every time you became restless. Thinking that you were only worried about Klaus being in rehab as his partner, you were so appreciative for her efforts to help you, despite not seeing the full picture. The painful last days before Reginalds death mostly ended up with you either joining Vanya to her rehearsals, working together on music lessons, and reading the autobiography whenever you had the chance. 

Before you knew it. The day came. Vanya has invited you along to her rehearsal inside of a theatre. You agreed. In desperate need for a distraction from what was to come later that evening. Plus, you really wanted to watch Vanya play like she had in the show. 

Before the two of you left. Vanya’s phone rang from the corner of the room. She answered and after speaking for a moment, she motioned for you. Only two living people knew you existed in this universe, so you found yourself hurrying to the phone. 

“Klaus?” You hesitantly began. 

“Hey Schatz.”

“Klaus you asshole!” You immediately cut him off with an angry tone. “You’ve had access to a phone this whole week and not a word?” Despite how much your stomach clenched in anger, you stopped to let yourself breathe and placed your head in your hands. “I was so worried…” That last part was a whisper you let out. You didn’t mean for it to come out so emotional. If he heard you, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he let out a tense chuckle. 

“I was just reconnecting with some old friends.” His tone fell as he spoke. You thought back to the introductory scene for Klaus from the show. He genuinely cared about those around him in rehab… You had completely forgotten. “Besides, I’m sure you needed a break from me. And the stick-in-the-mud.”

“Woah, when have I ever said that I don’t like spending time with you?” You wiped at your eyes, which you didn’t realize were wet, and let out a chuckle. “I've been living with you for months now.”

There was a beat of silence between the two of you. Just being able to hear his light breathing was enough for you to relax.

“You ready for tonight?” He asked, breaking the silence. 

“What do you think?” You replied and he chuckled. “You?”

“I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes.”

“You better not do anything stupid before I see you later tonight…”

“Oh mein leibe, I would never!” you could just make out the sound of his hand slapping against his chest in faux hurt.

“That’s a new one.” You snorted. “What’s it mean?”

“Little bitch.” His light whisper was enough to cause a smile to grow on your face.

  
“Klaus!”   
  
“Got to go, we’re having group therapy in a few. Ben says hi.” He sped through his words while quickly adding at the end; “Auf Wiedersehen Schatz!” before hanging up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I kind of love this and have been writing this as an escape from this shitty apocalyptic worlds we're living in :')


	3. Ding Dong, the wicked bitch is dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reginald kicks the bucket >:)

Finally, it happened. The whole world stopped to look at the news. Reggie had kicked the bucket. Seeing Vanya’s distraught expression in the reflection as the two of you stood in the rain was heartbreaking. Gently, you placed a hand on Vanya’s shoulder in support. As if you broke her trance, she looked back at you and nodded, to communicate she needed a moment to process. So, you remained at Vanya’s side in silence, balling your shaky hands into fists and placing them in your pockets.

As Vanya began to shiver, you spoke up.

“Vanya, let’s go.” You whispered, pulling your hands from your pockets. “You’re going to get sick if we stay out here any longer.” Once again, Vanya only nodded in response. She took a breath and turned away from the shop window. Walking towards her apartment. You followed closely behind in silence. 

You never really had to deal with the loss of a parent. Let alone an abusive one. You couldn’t even imagine the thoughts running through Vanya’s head. You assumed that, like her siblings, she has no idea how to feel. Sad that her father died? Happy that he is gone? Angry at what he left behind? The medication she took most likely made everything even worse for her. Walking up the steps to the apartment, you took notice of Vanya fumbling with the keys. The shakiness in her hands caused her to struggle to unlock the door. Cursing under her breath, she finally managed to unlock the door. Vanya pushed the door open and collapsed onto her couch with a groan. She didn’t seem to care about her soaked clothing or shoes. You closed, and locked the door behind her and made your way to the bathroom to collect a towel. Removing your own shoes, you returned to the main room and handed a towel to Vanya. She mumbled a thanks as you grabbed some dry pyjamas and left to change.

A few minutes later, you returned to the main room after hanging your own damp clothing to dry. 

“Vanya, you have to change into something dry.” You spoke softly. As to not startle her from her quiet state. Remaining silent, Vanya disappears into her room. Hopefully to change out of her soaked clothes. While she was gone, you used the towel to collect the extra water from the couch and ground. After setting the damp towel into the bathroom, you sat on the couch, wondering if Vanya was just going to come back out or not. 

Just as you were about to approach the bedroom door, the phone ringing tore your attention away from Vanya. Figuring Vanya wouldn’t answer, you pulled the phone to your ear and answered. 

“Schatz?” Klaus spoke hesitantly and quietly over the phone, unsure if you were the one who answered the phone. His tone was held back. It caused a bad feeling to grow in your gut.

“Klaus, what’s wrong?” You asked in reply. Your tone was much more fearful than you had intended. Klaus only let out a pained laugh in response. The gut feeling got worse.

“Don’t be mad.” He started but you cut him off.

“Klaus what the hell happened? Are you okay?”

  
“That's exactly what Ben said, minus the second part and add a ‘what did you do’ in there.” Klaus said with a laugh, mimicking Ben. Anxiety bubbled up in your chest at his avoidance of your question. You took deep breaths to stop yourself from freaking out. He better not have done something illegal. “Hey, Schatz I can hear you freaking out. Don’t worry, we’re both okay… Well Ben isn’t, he’s dead…”

“Just…” You cut off his rambling with a sigh, placing a hand to your forehead. Your breathing was still uneven. Worry heavy in your chest. “Please tell me what happened.”

“Okay, okay.” Klaus whispered, dropping his joking tone. “You know how in the show, I overdosed?”

He didn't do what he was implying… Right?

“You didn't.” 

“I did.” He admitted. Guilt heavy in his voice. You opened your mouth to say something, anything. However, Klaus cut you off. “Hold on, I just thought that the best way to keep the timeline intact was to stick to the show. You were really scared when I wasn’t in rehab.”

“Klaus…” Now it was your turn to feel guilt over your tone.

“I know we were going to meet up tonight, but they aren't discharging me until tomorrow.” Klaus sighed as he pulled away from the phone. “So, I’ll see you at the academy. À demain Schatz.” Just like that, he was gone. You cursed when you felt a stinging at your eyes, however, you wiped them away as Vanya’s door opened.

She peeked her head out and gave you a confused look.

“Was that Klaus?” Vanya asked as she joined you by the phone. “Does he know what happened?” 

“He does.” You nodded. Taking, yet another, calming breath. “He learned about it in the hospital.”

“The hospital?”

  
“He overdosed.”

“Shit… Again?” Vanya cursed. No doubt, she was not surprised by this. Leading you to the couch, the two of you sat. You honestly didn’t want to talk about it. You were conflicted. He just wanted to help, and you appreciated it. But, why was he sacrificing his own health. You thought that Ben would at least come up with some way around it. The two of you had spent hours trying to come up with another way to keep the timeline intact. 

You shook your head to clear your thoughts. You would talk to them tomorrow at the funeral. There was no point in stressing out about it at the moment.

“Vanya?” You spoke quietly, Vanya hummed in response. “Are you okay? I don’t know what it's like to lose a dad. Even if that dad was a shitty person. Still, I’m sure this is really hard to comprehend… I’m happy to listen if you want.”

“Thanks (Name).” Vanya smiled slightly in response. She then paused, collecting her thoughts. “I just… It’s complicated. You’ve read my book right?”

“Yeah.” You lied in response. Although you hadn’t read it, you literally watched her childhood trauma. That had to be close enough right?

“The way he treated me as a kid. All of us as kids. Was so fucked up.” Vanya placed her head in her hands and sighed. “I honestly don’t regret writing it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Vanya chuckled lightly before raising her head to look at you, “the others may hate me for it. But that’s nothing new. Hell, Klaus still talks with me when he’s out of rehab. Plus, he introduced me to you, and you’re the first friend I've ever really had. That’s worth something.”

“Hey, let’s call it a night.” You smiled at her, glad that she thinks of you as a friend. “Tomorrow is probably going to be a shit-show.” Vanya laughed wholeheartedly at that and bid you goodnight. Before you knew it, you were alone, on the eve of the funeral.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this one was slightly repetitive but, oh well. I was suddenly cured of my writers block after forcing myself to write my first ever uni paper! So wild. Hopefully, said writers block, will be banished to hell from now on. 
> 
> Regardless, kudos and bookmark if you want to see more. I love you guys and am digging the feedback! 
> 
> Stay safe <3


	4. Meet the Hargreeves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, everyone does not want to meet you. Except Alison. I luv her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OWO two chapters in one day??? What's this>?>??

The doors to the academy loomed above you and Vanya. You took a moment to take in the fact that this is real. You were about to meet three new superpowered assholes. Vanya broke your trance by opening the door. She motioned for you to enter. You had to suck in a nervous breath before entering. 

“Holy shit.” You gaped at the sheer size of the entryway. It all looked exactly as it had in the show. Brown, wood-tones surrounded you. The table in the middle of the room was illuminated by the huge windows and chandelier. The staircase in front of you was polished and clean, as if they were brand new. Unconsciously, you hid behind Vanya as she took in her nostalgic surroundings. She paused to look through an arch. You followed her gaze towards the main room and fireplace.

“Hey, Mom.” Vanya spoke to a figure, sitting at the fireplace. The figure, Grace, did not respond. So Vanya asked again. “Mom?” 

Before she could approach Grace, another voice grabbed your attention.

“Vanya?” A very confident voice spoke. Coming down the stairs was Alison. And, dear god, you were not prepared for how stunning she was in person. Alison did, as you should have expected, give you a confused look but decided to focus on her sister for the moment. “You’re actually here.” Vanya gave a slight smile in response.

“Hey, Alison”

“Hey, sis.” 

The two shared a short lived embrace as yet another figure walked into the room. Diego. You weren’t scared of Alison, just intimidated. However, Diego scared the hell out of you. He would not hesitate to cut you.

“What is she doing here?” Diego questioned Vanya with an angry tone before turning to you with suspicion. “And who are you?”

“I’m (Name).” You spoke up. The fear of Diego’s piercing gaze had you hiding behind Alison and Vanya. “I’m Klaus’ partner.”

“Oh great, another druggie.” Diego rolled his eyes at you as your face flushed in anger. You decided not to try and retort. Insulting him in return would most likely cause a fight that you would lose. “And you,” Diego spoke towards Vanya, “you don't belong here. Not after what you did.”

“You’re seriously going to be like this today?” Alison deadpanned as her brother climbed the stairs. “Way to dress for the occasion, by the way.”

“At least I’m wearing black.” He retorted as he turned the corner and disappeared from your sight. 

“Does he even own another colour?” You snorted.

“He probably doesn’t own anything other than his ass kicking outfit.” Alison replied to you with a chuckle. Vanya’s smile turned into a frown.

“You know what? I…” Vanya stutered quietly. “Maybe he’s right. And I shouldn’t have…”

“Forget him.” Alison cut her sister off, interrupting the negative thinking spiral that Vanya was falling down. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“You’re part of their family, Vanya.” You piped up, an earnest smile growing on your lips. “You have a right to be here.”

“(Name), right?” Alison turned towards you. “I’m sorry about him, by the way.” You only shrugged in response, you definitely should have expected Diego to act that way. “I’m Alison.”

“I know.” You responded without thinking. Realizing that probably sounded extremely creepy, you backpedaled. “Sorry, that was so rude. I mean, you’re famous.” You stuttered a bit, an embarrassed cough escaped your lips. “And, um, Klaus has said good things about you. I’m also, not a drug user, by the way.”

Alison laughed at your flustered expression. She obviously had met many awkward fans before and was used to stuttering and rambling. Thankfully, Vanya setting a hand on your shoulder was enough to shut you up. You mumbled out an embarrassed sorry with a chuckle. 

“(Name), I’m gonna go to the main room.” Vanya motioned to the room where Grace had been, moments ago. “Do you need help finding Klaus?”

“Ah he’s upstairs, I can lead you there (Name).” Alison spoke with a smile. There’s no doubt that she had questions for you.

“Thank you.” You spoke a little louder than your mumbling from earlier. “I’ll catch you later Vanya.”

Just like that, Alison had taken off to lead you up the stairs. Her heels clicked with every step on the polished wood. You hadn’t worn heels in years. Back when your adopted parents would take you to Sunday church. You still respected anyone who could walk in them, those things were death traps. 

“So,” Alison broke the silence, “how long have Klaus and you been dating?”

“A few months now.” You smiled as you thought back to meeting Klaus and Ben. “He wanted me to come for support.” 

“You’re okay (Name).” Alison smiled at you. “Don’t listen to Diego, you’re welcome to be here.” 

“Seriously?” You were slightly dumbfounded at her acceptance. “I thought that Klaus and Vanya would be the only ones okay with me being here.”

“I’m not sure if Klaus is a good judgement of character,” she turned to face you. Pausing in front of a sliding door, “but I trust Vanya. She definitely trusts you.” Without giving you the opportunity to thank her, Alison pushed the door open and motioned for you to enter Reginald’s study.

It was very dimly lit. A photo of the man hung up on the wall immediately pulled your attention. He really was intimidating, just as Ben and Klaus had said. Your heart ached at the thought of that man, neglecting all of his children. Just as you were about to speak up, you looked over to the desk.

“Where’s the cash, Dad?” Klaus whispered from underneath, searching through the drawers of the desk. Alison carefully approached and put a hand on the desk, allowing herself to peek overtop. “Where is the cash?”

“Klaus? What are you doing in here” Alison spoke suddenly. Causing Klaus to jump suddenly and look up to see his sister. Ben stood in the corner facepalming at Klaus before moving over to stand with you. 

“Oh! Alison wow is that you?” He exclaimed as he examined Alison. Eyes brightening a bit when he saw you chuckling to yourself. He then stood up and opened his arms towards his sister. “Hey, come here. Long time. Too long. Hey, I was hoping to see you, actually, because I wanted to get your autograph! Add it to my collection!”

“Just out of rehab?” Alison pulled at Klaus’ wrist, raising an eyebrow at her brother. You frowned slightly at the mention of rehab.

“No, no. No, no, no, no. I’m done with all of that.” He said with a sigh as he made his way over to you. Slinging an arm over your shoulder. He used you to support himself as he pretended to choke up. “I just came down here to prove to myself that the old man was really gone.”

Alison smiled slightly at her siblings' antics. You pushed the thoughts from last night's argument away as Klaus suddenly pressed a peck to your cheek. The unexpected smooch caused you to flush and Ben to gag. Klaus made his way back to the chair behind the desk.

“And he is! He’s dead. Yay!” Klaus clapped his hands together as he flopped down into his father’s chair. “You know how I know? Because if he were alive, not one of us would be allowed to set foot in this room. He was always in here, our whole childhood, plotting his next torment, right?” Klaus chuckled to himself as he attempted to converse with Alison, who just ignored him in favour of examining the various objects in the room. Unbothered by this, Klaus rested his feet on top of the desk and continued by motioning towards the portrait hung behind his head. 

“Remember how he used to look at us? That scowl? Thank christ he's not our real father so we couldn't inherit those cold, dead eyes!” Klaus pulled his eyelids apart and faux-screamed. Causing all of the members of the room to laugh. He intimidated his late father, poorly next. “Number three!”

You must have been too caught up in the moment to notice the bulky figure looming behind you until he spoke.

“Get out of his chair.” The deep voice caused you to jump. Luther, wearing huge muscles and a trench coat looked puzzlingly at you. But, instead, focused all of his attention towards Klaus in the chair.

“Oh wow, Luther!” Klaus stood, unbothered by his brother’s huge presence. “You really uh… You really filled out over the years” You tensed at the attempt to lighten the tension in the room. Ben sent a comforting gaze your way.

“Klaus.” Luther warned, his deep voice reminding you a little too much of your own childhood.

“Save the lecture. We were already leaving.” He makes his way towards you. “You guys can talk amongst yourselves.”

“Drop it.” Luther commanded, sticking an arm out to block Klaus and your getaway. Klaus just deadpanned.

“Exsqueeze me?” He said in the most innocent voice he could muster.

“Do it. Now.” The two stared at each other for a few seconds. You knew where this was going…

“All right. All right.” Klaus sighed, annoyed, as he slapped his brother’s arm and returned to the desk. Digging through his pockets, he threw various items onto the ground. “It’s just an advance on our inheritance!” Alison chuckled at Klaus’ antics from the corner and Luther just seemed unimpressed. You, on the other hand, were keeping an eye out for the book. Before you realized it, Klaus was approaching you. “That's all it is. No need to get your little panties in a bunch.”

As Klaus glared daggers towards his brother, you were pulled out of the room. Of course, just like in the show, Klaus had hidden the box underneath his jacket and pants. You weren't going to question how he pulled that off. Instead, you shook out the tension in your shoulders.

“Klaus…” You spoke softly, anxiety was still heavy in your chest. Following him down the familiar, yet unfamiliar, halls was just adding to your anxiety. Finally, after walking down the halls for what seemed like forever, Klaus pulled you into his room and shut the door. He immediately moved to the corner, finding a place to hide the box he stole. You spoke again, this time a little more solid as you sat on Klaus’ bed. “Klaus.”

“Oui?” He responded, not even looking up from his task.

“What are you going to do with that?” 

“Hmm,” Klaus pressed a finger to his chin, and pretended to ponder your question before stating his conclusion, “sell it.”

“What for?” You pushed.

“Why do you want to know Schatz?”

“I…” You hadn’t told him about the book yet… Right? You could lie. But that didn’t sit right. Plagued with indecision, you just pushed any problem away and played it safe. “I just feel bad about you overdosing. You didn’t have to do that. And in the show, you use the money from the box to buy more drugs. I just…” You sucked in a breath to slow your racing thoughts and continued. “I just don’t want to cause you to relapse. You were doing so good this last little while…” Klaus only nodded, thinking over your words, before sitting on the bed beside you.

“Mein leibe,” He put his arm over your shoulder once more, “last night wasn’t your fault. Plus, I'm still alive and kicking.” Your eyes started to water slightly, but Klaus brought you out of it with a flick to the nose. “No need to worry. I’ll only do the easy stuff for now.”

“Thank you.” You mumbled, slightly side-hugging him.

“Now, I need a drink!” Klaus suddenly stood up, pulling you up with him. “Let's go downstairs. I’m sure the party is about to begin.”

  
  



End file.
